Sunflower Necklace with Polymer Clay

I made this pendant by using a cabochon as a stamp, and I love how it turned out!
If you haven’t worked with polymer clay before… be warned, it’s really addictive.  It’s inexpensive, easy to work with, and for small projects like jewelry, one package really goes a long way!  Next time I have time I’m going to have to add a navigation button for polymer play projects (if you’re looking for something in the meantime, you can search for projects tagged Polymer Clay).

So to try this project, check your stash for pretties.  Think cabochons, buttons – anything with a pattern or texture that you like.  Then, gather the following:
Polymer Clay (I only used a pinch out of a package of silver clay I opened several projects ago)
Clay gloss glaze & a paintbrush
Roller – a dowel would work well if you don’t have a clay roller.
Cutters – either for clay, or for cookies – as long as you don’t use them for food after you’ve used them on clay.  Anything jewelry-sized will work.
Wax paper or parchment paper
Cabochon(s) – or whatever you found
Toothpick(s)
Baking sheet
Basic jewelry findings (jump ring or bail, and a chain to string it) and optional charms
First, roll your clay into a ball, and then roll it out with your roller to 1/4″ thick.  I rolled mine out on wax paper, and then transferred the whole sheet onto my baking sheet to put in the oven.  It protects all the surfaces and makes moving it easy.  Parchment paper would accomplish the same thing.

Pick your cabochon/button/etc.  I had all these lovely ones to choose from in my last Pick Your Plum goodie box I ordered.

Press it into your clay.  Experiment with whether you like a deep or shallow impression.  I was going for a bolder look, so I pressed deep.

I decided I liked that off-center look.  So when I used my little round cutter, I made it even more off-center.  You want to stamp first and then cut, because the stamping will squish your clay.  If you cut it first, it will end up misshapen.  Although, if you enjpy that sort of look – feel free to try it out.  There are really no rules here!
I used a toothpick to poke a hole in my pendant, so I could add a jump ring.

Now, bake it in the oven according to the package directions.  Different brands and formulas may have different directions, so be sure to do what your package says.  Generally, though, a 1/4″ thick pendant is going to bake for 30 minutes.
Once it’s done and cooled, brush a coat of gloss glaze on it.  This will help protect it, and make it shiny.  You could probably skip this step if you like a matte-finish look, but to me that looks unfinished.

You’ll note I made two – I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to glue a bail on the back of it, or put it on a jump ring, so I made one with a hole and one without.
I decided it looked a little plain on its own, so I raided my bits-and-pieces and paired this ring with it.  That’s why I opted for the jump ring.

It makes for a fun, summery piece!  What kinds of experiments have you been working on lately?